The cool, morning breezes of Labor Day swirl around me in a nourishing hug. Lapping up the edge of Brooklyn, dark and aggressive waves smack the beach while the lightless bulbs of the Wonder Wheel wait for their turn to shine. Uneven slats with loose nails provide a glimpse into the millions of visitors who tromp their way up and down the boardwalk every season. Empty ticket booths and lone street sweepers occupy the space that thousands of sticky shoes will soon claim. Nostalgic amusement destination Coney Island is a beautiful, eerie place before the park opens. When the gates unlock and the music starts tinkling, the lights come alive. A barrage of strollers turn into a zoo of cotton candy blurs and the whooshing rides produce endless shrieks of joy. Watching a calm environment become a raucous symphony became, to me, the perfect ending to a summer thick with memories.

(Update: Empire Biscuit is currently closed for renovations as of the first quarter of 2016.)

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a thick, buttery biscuit. Add to it a fried egg, a salty piece of bacon, and melted cheddar cheese and it’s three times as satisfying. Once Empire Biscuit opened their Southern biscuit shop in 2013, fans flocked to their 24-hour flaky treats. Located in downtown Manhattan in the East Village is a small, minimally-decorated space with a huge wooden door and street-facing windows advertising, “Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, & Drunk”.

If you stop in when it’s busy and are lucky enough to grab one of the dozen or so stools in the shop, consider it a gift that you can sit and enjoy your reasonably-priced biscuit at a tabletop instead of simply standing and letting crumbs and toppings bounce off your clothes as you try to stuff pure joy into your mouth. Unless you live around the corner, trying to make it home while your food is still warm is not a viable option and prolonging the indulgence further is just taste bud torture.

Using the force of my feet, I walk avenues out of my way to eat at Empire Biscuit because their sandwiches and biscuit pairings are crave worthy. Their menu changes often but there are some staples, both savory and sweet. Savory favorites of loyal patrons include the House-Made Pork Sausage Gravy Biscuit and the Fried Chicken with Ranch and Pickled Green Tomatoes. Jam Sandwiches include The Lunch Box -- Peanut Butter and Grape Jam -- and my personal favorite, The Lemony Susan -- Lemon Curd & Brown Butter.

Unfortunately, trendy restaurants that seem to pop up quickly are not without their issues. Empire has gone through a bunch of changes in the last few years: Constantly changing their hours during the week, only being open on weekends, and closing for a few days at a time. My friends, it looks like the Empire is crumbling.

Although Empire Biscuit is currently closed for renovations and other unknown reasons and was shuttered in January unexpectedly due to a buy-out between Emperors, I certainly hope they can rebuild their forces and continue churning out biscuits to the butter-loving, Empire-seeking public.

]]>Empire Biscuit (CLOSED) - Lower East Side, New York, New YorkSugar Freak (REOPEN) - Astoria (Queens), New York Lara EndreszlMon, 29 Feb 2016 21:36:00 +0000http://tastefulscribe.com/food-york/2016/4/9/sugar-freak-astoria-queens-new-york5394c2b5e4b010f46521fb30:560215f0e4b074836d2c1bed:570967c6746fb9dec49e6451A comforting brunch to celebrate the South while freezing in the North.

UPDATE: **June 26th, 2017 - Sugar Freak reopened in a new space across from the old restaurant in Astoria.*As of February 28, 2017, Sugar Freak has closed its doors. According to the owner’s farewell note, it seems that they are working on developing a new restaurant concept. I hope they continue to serve Astoria with their beautiful food & wish them a fond farewell. 

With a foot of snow still on the ground in New York and mounds of powdered sugar lacing the fringes of my daily daydreams, I knew the perfect place to take my friend, A, for her birthday brunch: Sugar Freak. In lieu of the vacation I’m unable to take, I walk down 30th Avenue in Queens toward Sugar Freak, fifteen minutes before it opens for Sunday brunch, indulging in thoughts of the day’s menu selections; something to transport me temporarily back to Louisiana, the New Orleans that always seems to be on my mind.

A and I have been to Sugar Freak about half a dozen times and it just gets better each time. From the thick cornbread drizzled with melted, herb butter to the fried chicken, crispier than the air outside; this laid back, Louisiana kitchen is distinctly comforting.

Every time I visit, I crave the zesty-yet-sweet pecan vinaigrette used on their mixed greens and wonder if it’s polite to ask for the recipe. However, today I order the full Sugar Freak Breakfast with scrambled eggs, well-done bacon, cheesy grits, a biscuit with country gravy, and copious amounts of Community coffee to wash it all down.

The European vibe I found while visiting New Orleans a few years ago endeared the city to me forever. Sugar Freak, with its delectable comfort food and eccentricities--like old license plates lining the walls and zydeco music constantly playing in the bathrooms--brings me a little southern heat when it’s cold outside.

Since I can’t live in Louisiana, I will settle for living near a well-loved, well-run, well-done restaurant that recreates the vibe of a city I adore.

Tucked away on a busy street just blocks from Grand Central Station is a small brick space highlighted with dark wood, a teal-and-white checkered diner floor, and duct work decorated with skateboard stickers. Aside from the quirky menu signage and throwback soda tap offering orange and chocolate flavors, Black Shack Burger was built on its protein and lauded for its simple approach to great food without a lot of fluff.

Beef, turkey, chicken, tofu, or a thick mozzarella patty, you can almost make a burger out of anything at Black Shack. The menu is sparse but well executed just like the dining room, promoting a laid back atmosphere offering a communal area where you can mingle with other ketchup lovers looking for their fix. The employees at Black Shack aren’t in the business of rushing their seated patrons and they don’t care if you just grab food to go or hit them up in their delivery zone.

Once I discovered Black Shack, it soon became a guilty pleasure as a cheap, quick, neighborhood spot. Most of the time, I opt for the Western (your choice of patty with crispy onions, pickles, and BBQ sauce –with cheese, because I dare to eat dairy) and often save room for an order of sweet potato fries with a side of honey mustard; a surprisingly spicy complement. If you’re thirsty for something other than a syrupy, fountain root beer or ginger ale, you can help that burger down one of many craft beers from a selection of popular, American breweries like 21st Amendment or Coney Island. If you're still hungry or you prefer to dip your fries in ice cream, they also blend up milkshakes in the usual flavors, but you can also find cookies and cream and peanut butter on the menu.

If you find yourself hungry in Midtown East, you won’t be up against long lines or a pretentious waitstaff at this funky, burger joint; so reward your taste buds.

]]>Black Shack Burger - Midtown East, New York CityGrimaldi's Pizza - Brooklyn, New YorkLara EndreszlMon, 14 Sep 2015 23:01:00 +0000http://tastefulscribe.com/food-york/2015/9/22/grimaldis-pizza5394c2b5e4b010f46521fb30:560215f0e4b074836d2c1bed:56022169e4b040a5bbf6aac4All I heard about since arriving in New York was how amazing Grimaldi's
coal-fired pizza is. Its main location just under the Brooklyn Bridge and
the gorgeous setting adds to the ambience of this century-old pizzeria and
the up to two-hour wait time for a pie at this cash-only establishment is
well worth it.

All I heard about since arriving in New York was how amazing Grimaldi's pizza is. Its main location just under the Brooklyn Bridge is a gorgeous setting and definitely adds to the ambience of this century-old pizzeria. From what I had heard, the up to two-hour wait time for a pie at this cash-only establishment is well worth it.

To begin with, Grimaldi's is fine pizza. Their coal-fired pizza has been a staple since 1905, so it's definitely old enough to be someone's pizza godfather, just not mine.

Honestly, I don't think Grimaldi's lived up to the hype. It's like reading all the reviews of a movie you really want to see; sometimes too much exposure shoots your expectations to unattainable levels and can leave you disappointed.

For priding itself on being a New York institution, my friend M--who was visiting from Los Angeles--was bummed to find out that he could have driven twenty minutes away from his home to the Grimaldi's outpost on the west coast.

The view is beautiful on the walk to the restaurant, but it's not situated it a spot where the seats show you any view except the hallway to the bathroom and kitchen, at least ours did. If I hadn't heard a ton of rave reviews before I visited, I'm sure it would have been totally acceptable, but not earth-shattering pizza.

There were three of us for dinner and we ordered an antipasto plate and two pies.

The best part of this adventure was that we were over prepared to wait between one and two hours at 7pm on a Monday evening, but there was no line and we sat right down. The pizza was hot and thin with a crispy crust and a little burnt; the best part of any crust is the burnt bubble, I'll give Grimaldi's points for that...but by far the best part of my evening was the view of the moon over the Brooklyn Bridge as we walked back to the subway.

Menu Items:

Antipasto plate

White pie

Sausage and sun dried tomato pie

]]>Grimaldi's Pizza - Brooklyn, New YorkRoberta's - Brooklyn, New YorkLara EndreszlTue, 08 Sep 2015 03:44:00 +0000http://tastefulscribe.com/food-york/2015/9/22/robertas-brooklyn-new-york5394c2b5e4b010f46521fb30:560215f0e4b074836d2c1bed:56021ec6e4b013860327fb4fRoberta's holds a special place for me because of a small connection to
home.

Roberta's holds a special place for me because of a small connection to home. One of my favorite people on the planet, A, moved to New York City after we finished graduate school, ended up with a culinary degree and worked at Roberta's for half of 2012 before she moved back west to try a new adventure. For this reason and because I miss her so, I have a soft spot for Roberta's and it’s holy food grounds.

Regardless of my personal feelings, there's just no denying this powerhouse of flavor.

A few weeks after I moved to New York City, I visited the World Trade Center Memorial and Roberta’s in one weekend. Aside from the fact that it was officially turning into fall weather when leaves were dropping rapidly off trees and scarves were whipping in the wind daily, this weekend normally wouldn’t have stood out aside from the meal. However, my last sit-down meal hours before Hurricane Sandy hit our shores leaving thousands devastated, just happened to be at Roberta’s in Brooklyn. As I left brunch that afternoon feeling slightly less-than-hungover, slightly more than full, and completely satisfied; I clamored to get back to the city on the subway before complete darkness and chaos overcame the borough.

FYI, there is always a long wait. I have waited anywhere from 45 mins to 2.5 hours for a table; so I hope whomever you go here with has great conversation skills.

Go to Roberta's. You won't be disappointed.

Menu Items (Visit #1)

Bread and butter

Shaved Brussels sprouts with egg,

Cheesus Christ pie

Speckenwolf pie

Chicory Iced Coffee (New Orleans-style)

Update - Visit #2

Still yummy. Three of us split a sticky bun and a Rosso pie (tomato, oregano, garlic), although we couldn't resist putting cheese on half, and I had the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich for brunch. The iced coffee is still great ask them for some Agave syrup to sweeten it up!

While we waited over 1.5 hours on a busy Sunday, I spotted frequent Food Network face and NYC restauranteur Amanda Freitag, so it wasn't all wasted and, of course, the spectacular food made up for our wait time.

Menu Items (Visit #2)

Sticky Bun

Rosso pie

BEC (Bacon, Egg, and Cheddar Roll)

Aside from these two trips, I have been fortunate to visit Roberta's a few more times but I usually order the same pizza (Cheesus Christ, with the addition of an egg on top) and the Romaine salad (candied walnut, pecorino, mint).